>>> ONE OF DONALD TRUMP’S
STAUNCHEST ALLIES WHILE HE WAS
IN OFFICE WAS FLORIDA REPUBLICAN
CONGRESSMAN MATT GAETZ, A MAN
EXTREMELY EAGER TO GO ON FOX
NEWS AND FIERCELY DEFEND THE
THEN PRESIDENT AGAINST ALL
CRITICS.
GAETZ IS STILL IN CONGRESS, BUT
THIS MORNING AXIOS REPORTED HE
WAS EYEING EARLY RETIREMENT TO
TAKE A JOB AT "NEWS MAX."
TURNS OUT THERE WAS A LOT MORE
GOING ON.
"THE NEW YORK TIMES" BROKE THE
NEWS THAT GAETZ IS BEING
INVESTIGATED BY THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT OVER WHETHER HE HAD A
SEXUAL RELATIONSHIP WITH A
17-YEAR-OLD AND PAID FOR HER TO
TRAVEL WITH HIM, ACCORDING TO
THREE PEOPLE BRIEFED ON THE
MATTER.
GAETZ TOLD THE "TIMES" HE’S THE
SUBJECT OF THE PROBE BUT NOT THE
TARGET.
HE’S KNOWN ABOUT THE
INVESTIGATION FOR A WHILE AND
TOLD THE "TIMES" THAT HE AND HIS
LAWYERS HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH
THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT BUT ONLY
KNOWS THE INVESTIGATION HAS TO
DO WITH WOMEN AND THAT, I HAVE A
SUSPICION PEOPLE IS TRYING TO
RECHARACTERIZE MY GENEROSITY AS
SOMETHING UNTOWARD.
HE LATER TOLD AXIOS THAT THE
CHARGES ARE FALSE AND ROOTED AN
EXTORTION AGAINST HIS FAMILY AND
HE WAS NEVER INVOLVED WITH
ANYONE WHO WAS UNDERAGE, ADDING,
I’VE DEFINITELY IN MY SINGLE
DAYS.
I’VE DATED, I’VE PAID FOR
FLIGHTS.
I’VE BEEN GENEROUS AS A PARTNER.
I THINK SOMEONE IS TRYING TO
MAKE THAT LOOK CRIMINAL WHEN IT
IS NOTE.
HE TWEETED THE EXTORTION ATTEMPT
INVOLVED A FORMER DOJ OFFICIAL
SEEKING $25 MILLION.
AND HIS FATHER HAS BEEN WEARING
A WIRE TO CATCH THESE CRIMINALS.
FOR MORE ON WHAT’S GOING ON
HERE, I WANT TO TURN TO THE
REPORTERS WHO BROKE THIS STORY,
"NEW YORK TIMES" WASHINGTON
CORRESPONDENT MICHAEL SCHMIDT.
MICHAEL, THANKS SO MUCH FOR
JOINING ME ON THE SHOW TONIGHT.
TELL US WHAT GAETZ IS BEING
INVESTIGATED FOR AND THE SUBJECT
OF TARGET AND SUBJECT.
>> GAETZ IS BEING LOOKED AT
BECAUSE UNDER FEDERAL LAW YOU
CANNOT HAVE A SEXUAL
RELATIONSHIP WITH SOMEONE UNDER
THE AGE OF 18 AND TRANSPORT THEM
OVER STATE LINES AND PAY FOR
THEM TO MOVE WITH YOU FOR THAT
SEXUAL ACT.
AND THAT IS ONE OF THE QUESTIONS
THAT THE AUTHORITIES ARE
EXAMINING.
GAETZ TRIED TO MAKE THE
DISTINCTION WHEN WE SPOKE TO
HIM, AS YOU POINTED OUT, BETWEEN
A SUBJECT AND A TARGET.
AND AS I -- AS I THINK SERVES AS
A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THIS, HILLARY
CLINTON IN THE HILLARY CLINTON
EMAIL INVESTIGATION WAS NEVER A
TARGET.
THE ENTIRE INVESTIGATION WAS
ABOUT WHETHER HILLARY CLINTON
BROKE THE LAW.
IT WAS ACTUALLY SO MUCH ABOUT
THAT THAT THE FBI DIRECTOR TOOK
THE EXTRAORDINARY MOVE OF
HOLDING A PRESS CONFERENCE TO
TALK B ABOUT WHAT THEY FOUND AND
LAY THAT OUT.
SO, THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE
TARGET AND A SUBJECT IN THAT
EXAMPLE CERTAINLY CLEARLY SHOWS
THAT IT DOESN’T REALLY MEAN A
LOT.
SO, IN THIS CASE --
>> VERY GOOD POINT.
>> -- HIS CONDUCT IS BEING
SCRUTINIZED, IT’S BEING LOOKED
AT, IT’S BEING INVESTIGATED, AND
OBVIOUSLY THIS IS SOMETHING THAT
STARTED UNDER ATTORNEY GENERAL
BARR, WHICH, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS
SHOWS THE MERITS OF WHAT THEY’RE
LOOKING AT.
>> YEAH.
YOU KNOW, THE OBVIOUS RESPONSE
WOULD BE TO SAY THIS IS A WITCH
HUNT BY THE BIDEN DOJ.
BUT IT’S NOT.
IT STARTED UNDER BILL BARR.
>> IT’S COMING, IT’S COMING.
>> A WELL-KNOWN REPUBLICAN.
HOW FAR ALONG IS THIS
INVESTIGATION, AND HOW LONG HAS
MATT GAETZ KNOWN ABOUT IT?
DO WE KNOW?
>> IT’S UNCLEAR HOW LONG GAETZ
HAS KNOWN ABOUT IT, AND ITS
UNCLEAR HOW FAR IT GOES BACK.
WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT IT IS AN
OUTGROWTH, IT IS PART OF AN
INVESTIGATION OF A LOCAL TAX
COLLECTOR IN SEMINOLE COUNTY,
FLORIDA.
THIS IS RIGHT OUTSIDE OF
ORLANDO.
AND THE FEDS HAVE BEEN LOOKING
AT THIS TAX COLLECTOR WHO RODE
THE TRUMP WAVE, GOT ELECTED IN
2016, AND HAS BEEN INVESTIGATED
AND THE FEDS HAVE UNCOVERED AN
ARRAY OF CORRUPTION ON HIS
BEHALF.
IT IS IN THE COURSE OF THAT
INVESTIGATION THAT THE
AUTHORITIES WENT IN AND EXECUTED
SEARCH WARRANTS AND FOUND SOME
OF THE EVIDENCE THAT HAS LED
THEM TO THIS GAETZ
INVESTIGATION.
SO, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT
STARTED AS A -- AS SOMETHING
THAT WAS JUST FOCUSED ON THIS
TAX COLLECTOR, AND IT HAS GROWN
INTO SOMETHING FAR BIGGER WITH
OBVIOUSLY FAR BIGGER POLITICAL
IMPLICATIONS THAN A LOCAL TAX
COLLECTOR.
>> BIG TIME.
BUT WHAT IS THIS WE’RE NOW
HEARING THIS EVENING FROM GAETZ
HIMSELF ABOUT AN ALLEGED
EXTORTION PLOT?
>> SO, THIS IS WHAT HE -- YOU
KNOW, HE LAID THIS OUT TO US ON
THE PHONE TODAY.
AT FIRST I DIDN’T FOLLOW ALL THE
INTRICACIES OF IT, AND I WAS
TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT HE WAS
SAYING.
WE ACKNOWLEDGE, YOU KNOW, THAT
HE MAKES THIS CLAIM IN OUR
STORY.
HE HAS NOW PUT OUT THESE TWEETS
ABOUT IT.
YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, MAYBE HE
FEELS THIS IS AN EXTRAORDINARY
THING THAT’S GOING ON, SO HE HAS
DISCLOSED THE FACT THAT HIS
FATHER WAS WEARING A WIRE.
THAT’S USUALLY SOMETHING THAT’S
NOT DISCLOSED BY PEOPLE THAT
HAVE BEEN WEARING A WIRE, BUT
MAYBE IN THIS CASE HE FEELS THE
NEED TO LAY THAT OUT.
BUT IT CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW,
THAT’S -- THAT IS WHAT HE IS
SAYING.
THAT IS HIS ARGUMENT.
HE’S ALSO SAYING THAT HE DIDN’T
HAVE SEXUAL RELATIONS WITH WOMEN
UNDER THE AGE OF 18.
HE’S PROVIDED THE EXAMPLE YOU
PLAYED EARLIER ABOUT THERE MAY